


No More

by onlyhereforellick



Category: NCIS
Genre: F/M, post 17x11, the flashback took over MY BAD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22230499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyhereforellick/pseuds/onlyhereforellick
Summary: A low chuckle rumbled from deep inside his chest. It may not have been how Nick pictured his grand monologue of feelings going, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining—not if it got them finally on the right path.
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres
Comments: 2
Kudos: 72





	No More

**Author's Note:**

> the flashback took over & then honestly I rushed the ending to just be done with it, sorry 🤷🏻♀️

Packing up his go bag felt...different. Nick could pinpoint the shift distinctly, but it was hard to admit that out loud. Ziva had just left with Jimmy, Gibbs walked up to Jack’s office with a hint of smile on that stoic face, and McGee mentioned rushing home to show Delilah the video from Tony. It was just Nick, his thoughts, and that fiery little blonde at the corner desk. The blonde that shocked him to his core earlier when she punched Victor in the face. The same blonde who made him promise over a year ago to not get into another unnecessary fight. And yet, that’s exactly what she did...

_“Come on, let’s get inside.” Ellie said softly as she helped him up. Her big tender heart shining through that brilliant brain of hers._

_Nick didn’t need to but he swayed into her arm around his side in support. Inhaling deeply he couldn’t help but revel in her warmth and scent. A sweet vanilla with the hint of cinnamon today, it was perfect._

_She’d fixed him coffee, they got comfortable on her couch—him in the corner with his feet on the ottoman, and Ellie’s head leaning against his shoulder as her feet were tucked up and to the side of her. They sat in relaxing silence for a lot longer than he thought Ellie would ever be able to last. Their breathing slowed to match each other’s rhythm, and at one point Nick firmly believed Ellie may have fallen asleep._ _Thinking he was in the clear, Nick moved his free hand along the back of the couch down towards Ellie’s hair. Stroking her soft locks, he caused a waft of that familiar vanilla scent again—it truly was mesmerizing. A small hum vibrated through her as his hand continued its motion. Apparently she hadn’t been asleep like he assumed. Pulling his hand back begrudgingly, he froze when her raspy sleep-filled voice whispered to him,_ _“Don’t stop, please.”_

_Nick replaced his hand immediately, yet all he could envision was her whispering those words in a whole different light. Rougher, desperate, needy... Nick shifted as his pants tightened with his wandering mind._

_He didn’t expect her to continue, and yet Ellie was full of surprises tonight. “Nick?” It was even quieter than before, he barely heard it._

_“Hmm?” Nick prompted._

_“Promise me something,” Ellie requested and to any outsider it would come across as a routine request. But Nick wasn’t an outsider, he heard the undercurrent of worry mixed with apprehension—it_ _caused the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end._

_“Mmmm,” Nick didn’t want to use real words quite yet, he was still wary of everything. Reeves death had done a number on him, and well- Ellie too, so he had no clue if this was a promise he could even keep._

_Ellie placed a hand on his upper thigh for leverage as she pushed off his shoulder_ _to look him in the eye. The raw emotion he saw there had his heart pulling towards her. He thought it might actually escape his chest with the force that Ellie called it to her. Her eyes searched his briefly before continuing, she must’ve seen what she wanted to._

_“Promise me no more fights.” Her statement rung loud and clear. Nick knew in an instant his answer. The vulnerable, worried look on Ellie’s face and the_ _desperation in her voice made his decision involuntary._

_With more certainty than he’d ever felt about anything, Nick answered within seconds, “No more fights, B.”_

_The relief that washed over her face accompanied by the sweetest smile he’d ever witnessed as she settled back into his side was worth it. Nick knew she_ _didn’t mean compromise himself at work, no- she meant the dumb brawls he had a tendency to get into. To see her so torn up over his safety did something weird to his insides. He couldn’t quite place the name of the feeling, but he knew this was a promise he had to make- one that would be easy to keep._

He’d kept that promise- for 14 months, he’d kept it. And then Victor tried to kidnap that kid and Nick almost broke it. Ellie probably would’ve understood, he’d told her about the child trafficking ring back when they were taking care of Cody. Victor’s relentless flirting with Ellie was enough to strike a nerve with Nick, but when he’d realized it was him who was trying to sell him to a Libyan gangster, well- Nick had reached his limit.

The second Ellie jumped in front of him at the airport his mind went blank. Her hands on him and voice ringing in his ears made the rest of the world lose focus. He could only feel her, only see her, only hear her. It was unnerving the affect she had on him, but lord knows it worked. He hadn’t broken his promise. What came next is when he truly felt his world tilt though. The crack of Ellie’s knuckles hitting Victor’s nose was jarring, unexpected. Even though Nick had watched her spin around fist ready to hit its target, he didn’t really think Ellie would punch a suspect. Not without provocation. No- that wasn’t her.

And then she did.

And it was _fucking hot_.

He really shouldn’t have been turned on by it. Really- not in the slightest. Violence had never been a thing for him before, _still_ wasn’t a thing for him. But- but seeing Ellie whirl around and knock a disgusting excuse for a human out? Putting aside that logical brain of hers and leading with her heart? _Yes, please_ , Nick thought as he licked his lips.

Which led him to his current predicament—packing his go bag, feeling...off. Knowing it was because he still had yet to tell her, _yes thank you, Ziva for the reminder,_ and at the same time, not knowing how to. How do you say to a girl: “So I didn’t realize I had it this bad until you knocked a guy out for me, let’s make out?” _Yeah, no._

Instead, Nick settled on, “Hey Ellie,” she lifted her head from her paperwork to look at him—the sense of dejavú hitting hard from when he chickened out last time he tried this—but Nick pressed on, “Celebratory drinks, on me? Apple-tinis?” Adding a wink at the end because he couldn’t help himself.

She shot back a teasing scowl, but the smile that joined it told him she didn’t take it the wrong way. “Very funny, Nick. They better be on you after that one,” Ellie replied and there was that pulling of his heart again.

Nick just laughed in response as he rounded his desk to meet her at the edge of the bullpen. Her smile remained in place as she shouldered her bag and met him on the other side of her desk. Standing side by side in the elevator she slid her eyes over to him briefly before giving his shoulder a little nudge with hers. Nick glanced up with a raised eyebrow and a hint of a smile across his face in place of a question.

“Thanks,” was all Ellie offered.

Nick’s brow furrowed in slight confusion, “For?”

Ellie looked down to the ground, almost in embarrassment before adding softly, “You know- for not breaking your promise.”

Nick really thought she would’ve forgotten. That small conversation but a moment in time so long ago, while poignant for him- he hadn’t been sure he could say the same for her until now.

“Always, Ellie.” And Nick hoped his voice sounded as sure as he felt. He’d meant his promise back then, and while he got close to ruining it, he really believed he could hold true to it here on out. Especially with Ellie there to calm him down, _granted- that reminded him..._ “However, it’s a little interesting you didn’t take your own advice,” Nick prompted suggestively.

Ellie’s short barking laugh echoed off the elevator walls as the doors slowly slid open to reveal the parking lot. A sound Nick knew he’d never get tired of hearing.

When she didn’t respond right away to his barb, Nick decided it was time. Enough of this chickening out, enough of them denying it, enough of being a damn wuss already. They’d made it to Ellie’s truck quickly in the empty parking lot, his bike only a few spots away. She turned to address Nick, presumably to ask which bar they were going to, when Nick interrupted.

“No more fights for you either, B.” The dramatic change in tone must have caught her off guard. He’d gone from joking to serious in a snap, and he could see the trouble she was having in keeping track.

“Wh- what?”

“You can’t get into fights either, Ellie,” Nick repeated.

“I- I know. But Victor—” Ellie confused started to explain herself.

“I get why you did it, and trust me- it was _hot as_ —well,” Nick paused as he saw surprise mar Ellie’s features at his admission of attraction, “you know, it was something alright. But still, El- you could get hurt, or get suspended, or get—”

A meek voice interrupted his rambling, “You thought it was hot?” Ellie looked up at him through thick eyelashes, insecurity shining clear as day despite the dark hour.

Nick cautiously stepped closer to her as he brought a hand up to tuck a lick of hair behind her ear. “Hell yes, I did. And I mean,” Nick glanced away suddenly a little unsure of himself under her intense scrutiny, “it’s not that I find violence a turn on, I promise I don’t. And that’s never happened to be before, really. It just- in that moment, it was- I uh,” Nick scratched the back of his neck with his other hand still unable to make eye contact with Ellie.

She’d stayed quiet so long after he trailed off, Nick felt his gaze pulled back to her. The second his eyes landed on her face he saw it—the most earth-shattering, heart-filling, genuine smile plastered across Ellie’s face. It took a second to register but soon Nick felt his smile grow, too. And before he realized it- Ellie was moving towards him and her lips were on his with her arms around his neck. A soft, tender kiss that incited a warmth to spread through him like he’d never experienced. He deepened the kiss in response as his own hands tightened around her neck and side, pulling her flush to his body.

Breaking apart for air much sooner than he’d like, Ellie delicately brushed her nose to his as she whispered, “I think it’s hot when you punch a guy, too by the way.”

A low chuckle rumbled from deep inside his chest. It may not have been how Nick pictured his grand monologue of feelings going, but he sure as hell wasn’t complaining—not if it got them _finally_ on the right path.


End file.
